The objective of a radio service is to relay information between two locations by propagating a radio frequency (RF) signal. The RF signal is propagated between two locations by using wireless devices. Each of the wireless devices includes at least one transmitter for transmitting the RF signal and at least one receiver for receiving the RF signal. A link is established between the wireless devices to propagate the RF signal. To set up the link, these wireless devices have a transmitting antenna, a propagation medium (free space or the earth's atmosphere), and a receiving antenna. Once a link is established between two wireless devices, the RF signal propagates from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna by utilizing the propagation medium.
Various mathematical or propagation models can predict the propagation of the RF signal. These mathematical or propagation models are also known as Propagation Models, Radio Wave Propagation Models, or Radio Propagation Models. They are based on an empirical mathematical formulation of the characterization of RF signal propagation as a function of their frequency, distance and other conditions. A propagation model is usually developed to predict the behavior of the propagation of an RF signal between wireless devices. Each model is designed, keeping in mind certain constraints, with the objective of predicting the way the RF signal propagates from one location to another.
RF propagation models are being used with different RF propagation simulation tools to visualize the propagation of an RF signal. The RF propagation simulation tools available visualize the RF signal to represent the characteristics associated with the RF signal received at the receiver of the wireless device. These tools use a single graphical representation to represent the final characteristic associated with the propagation path of the RF signal. For example, even if the characteristic associated with the RF signal is changed after traveling half of the propagation path, the complete RF signal is still represented by a single graphical representation, for example, a colored line or a line type. The graphical representation depicts the characteristic associated with the propagation of the RF signal when it is received at the receiver of the wireless device. Such tools are used to represent the overall strength of the RF signal received at the receiver of the wireless device. Further, the tools require manual intervention to move a pointing device between the transmitter and the receiver, to know the location of any change in the RF signal.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated, relative to other elements, to help in improving an understanding of the embodiments of the present invention.